


World Enough and Time

by oneill



Category: Karneval
Genre: Gen, alternative universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-02
Updated: 2013-09-02
Packaged: 2017-12-25 09:30:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/951485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oneill/pseuds/oneill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the fic_promptly prompt: Any, any trans character, living so free is a tragedy when you can't be what you want to be</p>
            </blockquote>





	World Enough and Time

He had to get the hell off this ship. It was all right before, but ever since that goddamn medical examination, things had changed. Now Yogi hesitated whenever he said Gareki's name, like the _-chan_ was right there on the tip of his tongue, and he couldn't manage the _-kun_ anymore, just let the name hang in the air like a question mark instead. Tsukumo and Hirato were harder to read, but he caught glimpses of something in their eyes, and few things pissed Gareki off as much as being humored. What did the bearded old goat have to go and run his mouth for, anyway?

Nai still acted the same as before, but that wasn't saying much, all things considered.

Well, whatever. Now that Hirato had decided to hold Nai in Circus custody, Gareki had no reason to stick around anymore. No reason to go back to Karasuna, either. Sure, he had Yotaka and Tsubame's grandfather to take care of still, but he could find a fixer to transfer the funds for that. Just make a clean break, have the ship drop him off someplace new, and--

 _And what?_ Gareki paused in the middle of bandaging his chest to blow out a sigh. _This is gonna hang over my head no matter where I go. Does it really make a difference if no one else knows about it?_

He tied off the bandages, dragged on an undershirt, pulled a T-shirt over that. As he zipped up his jacket, his mind drifted back to the place they had done the examinations--the Research Tower, Hirato called it. As expected of the National Defense Organization's elites, they had the kind of medical technology normal people could only dream of.

. . . Yeah, right. Gareki already had his hands full just scraping together the cash for the old man's hospital bills. And he had no more reason to trust the doctors at the RT than he had to trust the "medicine" Tsubaki used to bring home.

The bottom bunk rustled, and Nai's bed-mussed head wobbled up from under the covers. He rubbed a palm into his eye, mumbling, "Gareki?"

"What. You hungry?"

Nai nodded.

"Come on, then." Gareki slid a pair of goggles onto his head before walking to the door. "I was gonna get some breakfast anyway."

As they headed down the empty corridor to the cafeteria, Nai tripped over absolutely nothing and pitched forward. Gareki caught his elbow, dragged him upright by the collar.

"Geez, can't you even--"

Gareki stopped in mid-sentence and stared down at Nai, as though for the first time. The kid probably _couldn't_ walk straight, right now. Not on just the two legs, without a tail for balance. Even though Gareki didn't know exactly what he was going through, he ought to understand a little better than most, at least.

"You . . ." Gareki let go of Nai's collar and tugged his shirt straight. "Does it bother you? Being in that body, I mean."

Nai stared. His head slowly tipped to one side, his mouth dropping open in sheer uncomprehension. Well, yeah. Most animals weren't self-aware, and if Nai was anything to go by, niji were no exception. Maybe he didn't even realize how much he'd been changed.

Gareki shrugged, started to say, "Never mind." Then Nai seized his sleeve in both hands.

"Um, well," Nai said, "sometimes my body hurts a lot. There were lots of times I was hungry or scared. But . . . that's why Gareki gave me food and clothes, and Yogi and Tsukumo-chan hugged me. I was cold, so I learned how warm Karoku is. That's why I think it's a good thing, probably?"

"Hmmm. Isn't that just luck, though?"

"Eh?"

"I'm saying it was lucky you happened to come across people who wanted to help you. You could have run into someone who--"

 _Someone who wanted to use you for his own benefit?_ Someone like Gareki, in other words. Nai kept staring up at him, trust shining absurdly in those red eyes of his. Maybe luck had nothing to do with it. Maybe it was just Nai.

"Forget it," Gareki muttered. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and started back down the corridor, made it two steps before Nai grabbed the trailing hem of his coat. Gareki glared back. "You know, you--"

"So, you see!" Nai said, holding fast. "If Gareki is hurt, I want to help! Um, and Tsukumo-chan and Yogi would too! I think."

"Hn." He'd heard that before. A couple of people even meant it. "Yeah. I know."

"So--!"

"I've got it, already. Come on, let's go eat now."

Nai beamed. "Okay!" He bobbed his head once before tottering in Gareki's wake.

Well. Maybe Gareki would stick around a _little_ longer. Nai would probably be fine on his own, but the dumb kid seemed to like having Gareki around for some reason. Besides, Gareki still needed to make his mind up about Hirato and his crew, make sure they were the type he could count on to take care of Nai. And if they were, then maybe . . .

Gareki shrugged deeper into his jacket. He'd figure all that out later. Time was about the only thing he had.


End file.
